In 2007, a story headlined “Bomb threat at high school downplayed by local police department” surfaced on the Internet featuring the AP logo. The article, however, originated in the FBI’s Seattle field office. Agents embedded the story with malware that would allow them to track anyone clicking on the link. The fake story resulted in the FBI arresting a 15-year-old who had made threats against Timberline High School.

“We are extremely concerned and find it unacceptable that the FBI misappropriated the name of The Associated Press and published a false story attributed to AP,” spokesman Paul Colford said in a statement. “This ploy violated AP’s name and undermined AP’s credibility.”

Christopher Soghoian, chief technologist for the American Civil Liberties Union, who helped bring the matter to light, told The Washington Post that the FBI’s actions demonstrate that the “ends do not justify the means.”

He added: “It’s a dangerous road impersonating the media. If people do not trust the news media, then our democracy cannot function properly.”